Lesser prairie chicken won't be listed as endangered

KANSAS (KSNT) - The lesser prairie chicken will not be listed as a threatened or endangered species, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced today after raising concerns that the listing could cripple oil and wind energy production.

The decision, issued by Judge David Counts on August 12, found that the Biden-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's attempt to list the lesser prairie chicken was unlawful. Kobach said the ruling was a win for ranchers and energy producers.

"This is a huge win for Kansas ranchers and energy producers," Kobach stated. "The listing of the species as threatened or endangered would have crippled oil and wind energy production and would have limited where and when Kansas ranchers could graze cattle on their own property."

Kris Kobach, along with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed the lawsuit in March 2023 opposing the proposed listing.

Kobach said the decision was based on manipulated numbers that divided the species into subgroups, creating an impression of threat due to drought-related population drops in some areas.

The court's decision marks the second time a similar listing has been struck down. In 2014, under the Obama Administration, the USFWS proposed listing the lesser prairie chicken as threatened, but the same court overturned the decision in 2015.

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